Steve Watts to manage NSW schools surfing team
Southern Cross k12 teacher Steve Watts has again been chosen to manage the New South Wales schools surfing team for the national titles at Victor Harbour in South Australia from November 30 until December 9.
It will be the fifth year that Steve has managed the team, and in that time he has seen the competition unearth some special talent.
Stephanie Gilmore, the No 1 ranked woman on the ASP Tour, was in the NSW team three years ago, and Steve says that as well as being a very talented surfer, Stephanie ‘is a great kid’.
Mick Fanning, the current men’s ASP ratings leader, is a former Southern Cross student who graduated through the school surfing ranks, although he was not in the team before Steve took over as manager.
Other high-profile surfers to graduate through the school surfing ranks include Lennox Head’s Adam Melling, James Wood and Jock Barnes, along with Byron Bay’s Danny Wills, now ranked in the ASP’s top 16, plus top professionals Joel Parkinson and Taj Burrow.
Steve says that the school surfing movement allows students to pursue their passion while still getting an education.
It also provides the opportunity to get recognition. Steve says the major surfing sponsors such as Billabong send talent scouts to the championships.
“We get national and international media coverage, and the students get professional coaching while they’re at the titles,” he said.
Rather than dropping out of school to go surfing, the program provides students with the encouragement to get their School Certificate and Higher School Certificate, Steve says.
New South Wales will be chasing their fifth win in a row, and Steve already has had the chance to check out the team’s talent.
“I ran the State championships here, so I’ve seen all the surfers,” he said.
Although it can be quite hectic running the national titles, it’s not all hard work for the management teams — they get time off for a surf, and in his five years as manager, Steve rates his first year as the most memorable from a surf point of view. The surfers that year competed at Margaret River and Gracetown in Western Australia, and the waves were quality.
Steve has nothing but praise for Southern Cross school’s support for school surfing. “The principal, John Baker, is very supportive,” he said.
March 20th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
hey i was just wondering if you happened to have the information about the school surfing competitions where all the teams from the schools on the central coast get together and compete for reginals
thanks heaps
nick cashin